NEW SCARE CITY

It's a fictional streetscape we wander, here, a metropolis whose buildings, boulevards, and back alleys are in a constant state of flux. This is every place, and yet, no place at all - a city of dreams and a dream of a city.

Here, we explore the life and work of Ivan Illich and his circle of collaborators. There's no comprehensive index to the articles published, but we invite you to use the Search box, to the left, and to explore the Archive links that appear at the bottom of each page. Comments are welcomed.

Sunday, February 03, 2013

'Back from the Future' with Gustavo Esteva

A lengthy essay about learning from Ivan Illich, education, and more is available at the website of Gustavo Esteva, a friend of Illich's. Esteva, a Mexican who started his career working for IBM, now describes himself as "a grassroots activist and de-professionalized intellectual." "Back to the Future" describes efforts to create an alternative network in Oxaca, Mexico, called Universidad de la Tierra, which is deeply influenced but Illich's thinking.

Another essay of his, "an account of his turning points or 'rupturas,'" is available here, as well. Esteva describes his move from Catholicism to Marxism to a disillusionment with the notion of development.

Numerous videos of Esteva speaking are available on YouTube. One that caught our eye was filmed last year at a conference about the Economics of Happiness. His topic, there, was "challenging the institutional production of truth." It is ordinary men and women, he says, including those "buying shit at Walmart," who are the rebels who can change the world.